September 11, 2025 | 03:39 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The riots that broke out across Jakarta at the end of August left not only damage to public facilities but also a trail of suffering for stray animals. Bus shelters, often doubling as makeshift homes for street cats, were burned by the crowds, forcing dozens of animals into danger.
The House of Stray Cats (RSKJ) in Bekasi quickly mobilized to evacuate cats from several riot-hit areas. Founder Wilda Undriyani said she first learned about the plight of the animals from friends who reported cases of injured cats.
“Some cats were burned, others trampled,” Wilda recalled on Wednesday, September 10, 2025.
Accompanied by three colleagues, Wilda visited Senen, Senayan, and Kwitang a day after the unrest subsided. But with police still securing those areas, they were unable to begin rescue operations immediately.
By Sunday, August 31, the team gained access and scoured the streets. Equipped with pet carriers and cat food, they managed to evacuate 20 cats that had been hiding in the rubble of shelters and in narrow alleys.
“We found cats suffering from burns and hot ash, some paralyzed after being trampled, and others with swollen eyes from tear gas exposure,” Wilda explained.
Back at the shelter, the animals were separated based on their conditions. Several were rushed to clinics for emergency care, including one paralyzed cat later diagnosed with kidney damage caused by abdominal trauma.
“We monitor them first at the shelter, then immediately send the most urgent cases to the vet,” she said.
Since its founding in 2021, RSKJ has rescued hundreds of abandoned, sick, or disabled animals, but this was the first time the shelter had to deal with riot-related injuries.
“This is our first experience evacuating animals during demonstrations. The conditions were very tough. The tear gas still lingered in the air, and many roads were closed,” Wilda said.
Today, RSKJ cares for nearly 700 cats and 35 dogs, each with its own story of survival.
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